Aries Systems Corporation

As the leading peer review and production workflow management solutions, Editorial Manager® (EM) and ProduXion Manager® (PM) are leveraged by millions of users worldwide. Scholarly journals prioritize a smooth and efficient publishing process to maximize their time and resources, but it may be challenging to keep the workflow moving with so many users in play. Costly or confusing bottlenecks may occur as editorial teams wait for users to complete necessary actions, which can be stalled if the user is unavailable or has temporarily lost access to the system. At times, it may be appropriate for publications to perform tasks in the system on behalf of another user in order to minimize delays. This is an option for journals that take advantage of the proxy feature in EM/PM.

Authorized editorial staff may perform activities in EM/PM for Authors, Reviewers, or other Editors by proxy. A submission’s History page records activity performed by proxy and the user who performed it. Proxy access to a user account is available through the Search People function and through the Details page of each submission record. The proxying Editor can choose from highlighted links for each role the desired user is assigned to in the system, which automatically facilitates log-in by proxy to the user’s account. A bold yellow line appears below the main navigation bar to indicate that a user is operating in proxy mode within another user’s account.

While convenient, the proxy feature can include some restrictions to protect the privacy and security of users and their data. Editors may not be allowed to perform proxy activities in a new user account before the new user has viewed and acknowledged the site’s privacy policies. When this restriction is in place, the Editor will not see the yellow-highlighted proxy link for the new user. Additionally, Editors editing a submission on an Author’s behalf in proxy mode are not allowed to add or edit metadata for an existing repository item. Editors are limited to the URL/URI option for adding a repository item in proxy mode. Publications can also opt to limit user access to the following Administrative Functions while in proxy mode based on their unique preferences and policies:

• System Administrator Functions
• Search People Functions
• View/Change Username and Password
• Change Email Address
• Change Preferred Method of Contact
• Change Editor Role Designation
• Inactivate Users
• Merge Duplicate Users
• View People Activity Details
• View People Notes
• Edit People Notes
• View People URLs
• Edit People URLs

The EM/PM proxy function is a small but mighty feature that allows editorial teams to make urgent corrections, assist their colleagues, and progress the workflow. To take advantage of this functionality, journals may grant proxy power by Role Family in system configurations. Activating the role permission across all Role Families provides an Editor with full proxy power across all users. For support, contact your dedicated Aries Account Coordinator (AC).